Time
by DFM
Summary: What makes Beckett decide to come back early? Missing Scene from 'Rise'


**Title: **Time

**Character(s): **Kate and Jim Beckett

**Pairing(s):** Castle/Beckett (UST)

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** What makes Beckett decide to come back early? Missing Scene from _Rise_

**Disclaimer:** If it looks or sounds like something from Castle, I don't own it.

**Spoilers:** Rise

**A/N:** There was so much to deal with after Monday's ep that I didn't think I'd actually be able to settle one one part to write about... Then I came up with this fic :P

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><p>"Katie?" Jim Beckett glanced around the small cabin, looking for a sign of his daughter's whereabouts. He set down the package he was carrying on the worn sofa, next to the rolled up sleeping bag. Walking back outside, he followed the almost completely overgrown trail towards the sound of gently lapping water.<p>

And there she was. Sunglasses covering eyes he was sure were closed and wearing clothes that a few months ago would have fit perfectly, but now hung loose on her recovering frame.

Fighting every instinct inside him, Jim managed not to rush to her and pull his daughter into his arms, rocking her the way he did when she was little and still admitted to having nightmares. "Katie?"

She jerked out of her meditation, whirling around, her entire posture rigid until her eyes finally were able to focus on him. "Dad." Her smile was forced, but she walked to him nonetheless, allowing him to wrap his arms around her when she drew near enough. For a moment, she sank into his embrace, letting him hold her up for just an instant - until she pulled away and was his ever-strong daughter again. "I thought you weren't coming up until later in the week."

"I needed to talk to you," he said honestly. Jim almost immediately regretted it, because he saw her draw in just a little bit more, going on the defensive. _Oh, Jo,_ he pleaded silently, _get me through this._

Arms crossed in front of her, Kate tried to keep her voice light. "What about?"

"It's time, Katie."

"Wha-"

"You've been hiding up here for two months."

He saw the immediate indignation and shook his head even as she protested. "I haven't been _hiding_. I needed to get away for a little bit; I needed to get my head on straight. _You're _the one who suggested I come up here."

"Yes, I did," he allowed patiently. Trying not to think that she used to be much easier to argue with when she just didn't want to eat her vegetables. "And for a couple weeks, that was fine."

"Dad, I don't have to be back at the precinct for over a week now. I-"

"I'm not talking about work." In fact, he'd rather that she wasn't going back to the precinct at all. But she was Katie, and he knew that even if she didn't want to go back, she would refuse to go out on anything other than her terms. "I'm talking about the fact that you haven't spoken to anyone other than me in two weeks." At her surprised expression he couldn't help the small smile and a shake of his head. "Did you think that they weren't going to start calling me when they couldn't reach you? Lanie has been particularly persistent."

The ME called almost as much as Rick, though he'd promised the younger man he wouldn't mention their talks. Kate had finally found her match in stubbornness, and Jim would almost pity them both if he didn't want to smack their heads together so badly.

"I told her I was okay."

"Honey, the fact that you are standing in front of me, looking as healthy as you do, is a miracle. But you're not okay. No one would be, and you don't have to pretend you are."

She shook her head, and he thought he saw a small crack, just before her chin rose in defiance. "I'm fine, Dad. God doesn't give us anything we can't handle, right?" Her words ended on such a biting tone, that Jim found himself wincing at the underlying pain in her words.

"Kate..."

"No, Dad, Mom was _always_ right." She quivered with an anger he hadn't seen Kate direct at Johanna for a very long time.

"Yeah, I think she was more talking about you having to study math even though you didn't want to." A startled laugh escaped Kate and Jim smiled internally. Crisis averted for now. "Okay, maybe she meant the bigger stuff, too."

"I miss her so much, Dad," she whispered, her voice carrying the pain only the two of them could understand.

"I know, honey, but staying up here isn't going to make that pain go away. Trust me." He'd spent so much time here after he'd buried his wife. Jo had hated coming up to the cabin - it was too far from the city - so he'd hoped he'd be able to not think about her constantly the way he did in their home. It hadn't worked.

His baby girl turned back towards the lake, taking one deep, shuddering breath in. "It's too quiet up here anyway."

Slipping an arm around her shoulders, Jim walked her back towards the cabin. "I brought something to make the drive home go faster for you."

"Dad, I hate to tell you this, but listening to you sing along with your _Beegees_ albums will not speed time up."

"I'm going to let that one slide, missy, but just this once." He picked up the package he'd left in the cabin earlier and placed it in her hands, just where he'd promised it'd end up. Kate stared down at the harmless brown wrapping as if it were set to explode. "Open it."

She already knew what it was, but she slowly pulled apart the parcel, until she was staring down at an eerily-similar-to-herself silhouette and the words: Richard Castle. Heat Rises.

Jim pretended not to notice as she traced the letters of the man's name.

"I don't think I can do this, Dad."

He wasn't sure which _this_ she was talking about, but it didn't matter because his answer was the same. "I know, but you're going to anyway."


End file.
